


Requiem

by shxsty



Category: Castlevania (Cartoon), 悪魔城ドラキュラ | Castlevania Series
Genre: Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Romance, F/F, F/M, Family, Family Drama, M/M, Slow Burn, alternate title the tepes kids are too attractive, operation get sypha a goth vampire gf, patricide as a form of sibling bonding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-14
Updated: 2020-04-23
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:41:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22251274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shxsty/pseuds/shxsty
Summary: Sypha is almost at her wit's end after having to travel with two men who use fighting as a way to ignore their feelings. If she has to listen to Trevor talk about how he can't stand how Alucard never leaves a fight without a hair out of place or to Alucard complain about how much Trevor shows off in battles, she is going to set someone on fire. She doesn't even understand why the two of them can't just put aside whatever is going on between them to focus on their goal, but then Alucard reveals his secret weapon at Dracula's castle. She understands now.Basically I wanted to give Sypha a cool vampire girlfriend and it spiraled out of control.
Relationships: Alucard | Adrian Tepes | Arikado Genya/Trevor Belmont, Dracula/Lisa (Castlevania), Sypha Belnades/Original Female Character
Comments: 23
Kudos: 111





	1. Before the Fire

Vlad Dracula Tepes, a feared monster that kept impaled skeletons as lawn decorations, stared in shock at the small human woman standing before him. 

“You’re sure?” he asked in a voice so filled with shock and worry that it almost made Lisa laugh, if she were not as irritated as she was. Consequently, she merely sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. 

“Vlad, you’ve been doing this for the past five minutes. I know that’s not long in your lifetime, but I don’t have time for this. Yes, I am sure. I did the tests this morning,” Lisa said as she went back to organizing one of the cabinets in the alchemy lab. Merely a few years prior, Lisa made sure that everything in her beloved lab stayed in its proper place with never even a small test tube out of place. Now, however, more important things demanded the majority of her attention. It was at this moment that the very thing that had so changed her life started to cry from his crib in the corner of the room. 

“Shh, Adrian. It’s alright, love,” Lisa cooed, bending to pick up the toddler. She rubbed his back as he nestled into her neck before promptly falling back asleep. Apart from meeting the love of her life, Adrian was the best thing to ever happen to her, and she was sure Vlad felt the same. Their son, beautiful, sweet Adrian, brought such joy into their lives and changed the couple for the better. The saying that nothing brought happiness like a child’s laughter could not be more true. Sighing, Lisa turned back to her husband who was now sitting with his head in his hands. 

“Vlad—”

“You must understand where I am coming from, Lisa,” Vlad began, voice barely more than a whisper. “I love you more than you can possibly imagine. I didn’t think it possible for me to ever love something as much as you, but then you gave me Adrian.” Vlad’s gaze fell to the toddler dozing in his wife’s arms, and his eyes softened. “He is the greatest gift you could ever give to me, but you must remember that it almost took you from me.”

Lisa moved to sit and comfort him while trying not to wake the child in her arms. Her pregnancy with Adrian was extremely difficult to put it lightly. With so little record on dhampirs, everything was trial and error. On top of that, it was tough on her body. While regular mothers happily gained weight as their child grew, Lisa lost a considerable amount of weight until she resembled the skeletons that walked the halls of Castlevania. While most mothers got to welcome fat, wailing babies into the world, Adrian was born critically underweight and could barely breathe. 

“I understand your concerns, love, I really do, but this time will be different. I know it will be,” Lisa said as she gripped Vlad’s hand in her own. “We know so much more than we did the first time. We can look through our notes again and use my pregnancy with Adrian as a model. It’s not going to be easy, but that’s never stopped us before.”

“You have never been one to back down from the seemingly impossible, and I love you for it, dear. As long as this is what you want, I’m ready to go on this journey with you,” said Vlad, the smile apparent in his voice as he pressed a kiss to Lisa’s knuckles. 

—

“Were you able to put Adrian back to sleep?” Lisa asked as she paced around their bedroom in an attempt to relieve the pressure and pain in her lower back. 

“Yes, he’s sleeping. I told him the quicker he went to sleep the quicker he would meet his new sibling and that seemed to do the trick,” Vlad replied with a small laugh before migrating to his wife’s side and checking her pulse. “How are you feeling? It’s been four hours already, so you should be making progress.”

“I’m as well as I can be, I suppose. I still think it will be a while though, so don’t get your hopes up yet.” Lisa moved to lay down on the bed as it became increasing uncomfortable to stay in one position for too long. 

Vlad watched Lisa try to get comfortable on the bed, and he was brought back to Adrian’s birth only a little over two years ago. All at once it was like he was back watching his wife struggle through pain while he sat helplessly by her side. It was only worse once their son was born and he was forced to try to get Adrian to take his first breath as his wife hemorrhaged. Vlad was used to always being in control, to having Death itself at his beck and call. The word helpless was a word in his vocabulary reserved only for those unfortunate enough to be his victims. It never applied to him. And now he was back again, back to feeling helpless. What if it was worse this time around? What if the child didn’t survive? Lisa would feel horrible, and how would Adrian react? Or, even worse, what if something happened to Lisa? He would be left raising two small children by himself. He couldn’t do that. He needed her. He needed Lisa in order to—

“Vlad!” Lisa was stood in front of her husband, exasperated. “I can practically hear you thinking yourself into a spiral of worry. As long as you don’t get stuck in your head, everything will be fine.” Lisa pressed a kiss to his temple before grabbing his hand. “Now come lie on the bed and rub the back of the wonderful woman who is currently in labor with your child.”

He laughed and allowed himself to be pulled to their bed. He was a lucky man. 

After thirteen hours of labor, Lisa finally held her beautiful daughter in her arms. Thanks to her and her husband’s careful tracking of her previous and pregnancy and birth, this time around was much easier. It was amazing what simply knowing what to expect did for both Lisa’s health and the baby’s. 

“Has actually seeing her helped you decide which of the names we picked out suit her best, my love?” Vlad asked as he moved to sit next to his wife and daughter after doing a thorough examination of them both. 

Lisa stroked the child’s face with the knuckle of her index finger before responding, “She seems like an Elena to me.” Vlad smiled in agreement, and the two looked at the little marvel in their arms. As with everything in their household, the peace did not last for long. The three of them were only given a brief moment’s reprise before a golden blur ran into the room on unsteady feet. 

“Can I see? Can I see?” Adrian asked as he tried to climb up the bed. His golden curls were mussed from sleep, and his cherubic face was marked by indents of his sheets. He was an utter mess, but still Vlad could not help but smile at what his life had turned into and the family that Lisa gave him. Still smiling a smile much too big for Dracula, King of Vampires, he got up off the bed to pick up his son and press a soft kiss to his cheek. 

“There she is, your little sister. Her name is Elena.” As he spoke, Adrian began to try to weasel his way out of his father’s arms. “Adrian, look at me. She is very fragile and small— just like you were once— so you must be very careful with her and your mother. She has to recover, as well. Can you do that?” Adrian met his gaze and nodded excitedly, though he seemed to now better comprehend the situation. After Vlad placed him down on the bed, Lisa patted the spot next to her on the bed, and Adrian crawled over and stared in wonder at his sister. 

“Do you want to hold her?” Lisa asked, laughing softly at the joy that overcame her son’s face at the question. “I’ll take that as a yes. Grab that pillow there and place it on your lap. Good, and hold your arms like I am. Now you have to make sure to support her neck, she isn’t strong enough to do it herself yet.” 

Elena let out a few cries of protested but settled once she was comfortably situated in her brother’s arms. Adrian looked too scared to move a muscle in fear that it would jostle his sister, but after a few moments he relaxed. With the two side by side, it was already apparent that they would look much alike. A few golden curls already adorned the top of Elena’s head, their shade the same as Adrian’s. Both of their faces had the same angelic appearance, though that could be attributed more to their age than anything else. The only major difference was their eyes. While Adrian’s eyes were a warm amber, Elena’s were a deep scarlet presumably due to her father’s heritage. 

Reaching to stroke Elena’s cheek, Lisa smiled at her two golden children. If they were on their own, the world would seem an unspeakable undertaking, but Lisa felt as long as they had each other, they would make it.


	2. Revelations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Thank you for the response to the first chapter, it means a lot. I hope you enjoy reading this next chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.

The silence in the Belmont hold was suffocating. 

It had only been three days that Sypha had been stuck in the underground hold with Trevor and Alucard, but to her, it already felt like an eternity. Ever since their merry band had arrived at Trevor’s old home, Sypha spent her time devouring any book, text, or tome that contained information on Dracula or his infamous castle. Every waking moment was spent reading until she could no longer see straight or fell asleep in the middle of a sentence. Every day ended with a splitting headache from having to translate so many different languages and a horrible feeling of failure that sat in the pit of her stomach like a rock. 

Alucard was helpful for the most part—when he wasn’t wandering around the hold with a thinly veiled look of disgust on his face. He contributed what knowledge he had of the castle and disproved any information Sypha found that was untrue. He managed to pick through texts himself, sometimes even electing to sit by Sypha as they read from their respective texts. However, there were times when he would go off by himself to get lost both in the archive of all the horrible things of one half of his heritage and in the grief caused by the monstrosity of the other. Sypha originally tried to coax him away from the edge of his bottomless pit of anguish but found it best that he have time to himself every so often, even if he often returned with puffy eyes. 

While Alucard was mostly helpful in the group’s pursuits to defeat Dracula, Trevor didn’t even have the decency to pretend like he was working. After their morning meetings that consisted of planning for the day and seeing if anyone found helpful information, Trevor would head off on the pretense of searching the lowest levels of his family’s hold. This usually lasted all of an hour until Trevor found Sypha to complain of either boredom, hunger, or, his favorite topic, Alucard. And now as Sypha sat rubbing her temples after staring too long at a Greek sentence in a mix of both the Aeolic and Doric dialects, Trevor decided to make an appearance. 

“I’m going to kill the bastard,” Trevor said as he pushed a tome older than he was off of a chair. “I swear to every god that may or may not exist, I am going to kill him.”

Sypha took a deep breath and counted ten, just like her grandfather taught her when she was young had a tendency to light people on fire. “Trevor, you say this at least four times every day and have yet to do so. Even if I have to trap the two of you in separate ice blocks, you two will not kill each other.”

“Sypha, you don’t understand. He won’t stop talking shit about my family—in my own home nonetheless!”

“To be fair, you do say a fair amount of shit about his father,” Sypha sighed, deciding to close the journal in front of her. 

“His father’s fucking Dracula. It’s practically in my blood to not like the guy.”

“He could say the same, Trevor.”

Trevor threw up his hands, “Whatever. But the next time that vampire gets close to me, I’m going to punch him.” He added under his breath, “Maybe I’ll finally mess up that pretty face of his. No one has a right to look that fucking perfect all the time.”

“That was a nice backhanded compliment, Trevor.”

“Oh, come on, Sypha. You have to agree with me on that. It’s impossible to look as put together as he does all the time.”

Sypha hummed in agreement. She could agree on the statement that he did always look quite polished, even after a fight against demons. “I can’t believe you just said that. Did you find alcohol?”

Trevor snorted. “I’m just saying, almost makes me forget that he eats people.”

“I assume you’re talking about me,” Alucard said, leaning against a nearby bookshelf like he didn’t just appear out of nowhere. 

“God damn it! Didn’t dear Dad teach you that’s it rude to eavesdrop?” Trevor said, crossing his arms across his chest and getting out of his chair. 

Alucard merely rolled his eyes and chose to ignore the statement. “I found something that might be useful.” With that, he turned around and motioned for Trevor and Sypha to follow. 

—

“Is that what I think it is?” Sypha asked as she inspected the broken mirror before her. 

“If you think that it is a distance mirror then yes, you are correct,” Alucard responded from where he stood looking through a book filled with runes.

“Someone want to tell me what I’m looking at here because it looks like junk to me,” Trevor said. 

“It’s a mirror that can be used to look at and travel to any place on earth. They’re are impossibly rare,” Sypha said, getting up to look at the book Alucard was holding. 

“You are correct, but this one is broken and much of the runes have been lost to age,” Alucard added. “I can fix the runes, but the most it will probably be able to do is allow for communication between distance mirrors and allow us to view a specific place but not travel.”

“And that is going to help us how, fangs?”

Alucard paused for a moment, looking as though he was trying to find the best way to phrase whatever he was planning to say. Sypha prepared herself for the worst. 

“I fear I have been keeping something from you both,” he began, causing Trevor to visibly tense from where he was standing. “I have a… contact so to speak in my father’s castle. If I can get this mirror working, I might be able to contact her and ask for her help on this. She is extremely powerful and would make a good ally in this situation.”

“If she is so helpful, why did you not mention her before?” Sypha asked.

“I have not talked to her since before my mother’s death and know only that she is still in the castle—my father would not have allowed her to leave. Though I know she would never be complacent in his war, I could not be completely certain of where her loyalties lie.” Alucard paused and looked to the ground. “She has never been especially trustworthy, and she can be fairly manipulative, but I know her. I know she would not allow this.” When he looked back up at Sypha and Trevor, there was a look in his eyes that Sypha had not seen before. He looked desperate and scared. 

“We believe you, Alucard. We trust your judgment,” Sypha said as she put a hand on his shoulder. “Who is she exactly?”

Alucard gave her a small smile before taking a deep breath. “Her name is Elena. She’s my sister.”

Trevor dropped the throwing knife he had been fiddling with since he lost interest in the conversation. “There’s more of you?!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! As always, comments and critiques are always welcome! I'll see you guys in the next installment where we'll finally meet Elena and see what's been going on in the castle.


	3. Deception

The silence in the castle was freeing. 

There was a special feeling that came from walking through the unpopulated areas of the castle, the areas that none of the other inhabitants dared to explore. In these places, Elena found it easiest to collect her thoughts away from the prying eyes and otherwise pestering demands from those staying at the castle. It was rare that she got moments to herself since the start of the war, so she quickly learned to take advantage of the moments she did get as well as how to go about carving out some time herself. 

Elena currently was seated in one of the top most spires, simply looking out at the setting sun that was just beginning to dip below the tree line. The room was entirely glass, somewhere no vampire would dare go even with the sun so low in the sky. Said windows were currently open, allowing the wind to whistle through the room and bring without the rich scent of wood, grass, the distant tang of rain. There was a peace that came with solitude, a freedom from the chatter that polluted Elena’s mind when others were near. At times it became overwhelming, even more so with the amount of people currently in the castle and the power that flowed through their veins. That was the very reason that Elena had decided to retreat to this tower. Silence and solitude were getting harder and harder to come by. 

The room itself was a more recent addition to the castle, having only been added a little over a decade ago. Dracula himself had never had the need for such open space, not when he had an observatory and did not benefit from fresh air. It was something Elena’s mother had wished for once it was clear that Elena and Adrian had at least some tolerance for sunlight. The room quickly became their favorite in the castle. Elena smiled to herself as she recalled all the time that they spent up here as children, her reading or writing, Adrian drawing, the threats to push each other out the window when one was angry at the other. Even now, the bookshelves held Elena’s favorite childhood books and Adrian’s old sketchbooks. The emotion that his name stirred caused a stab of pain in her heart. She didn’t know where he was or what he was doing, only that he was alive. Elena could only hope that Adrian was planning to make his way back home soon.

She was broken out of her reverie, however, at the distant sounds of footsteps making the trek up the staircase. Elena lowered the walls she had put up in her mind, allowing that chatter she so hated to seep in from the edges. Her visitor was calm and going over the recent decisions made at the last meeting of the council, but in the back of his mind, something else. It was uncomfortable, like walking with a rock in one’s boot yet being unable to remove. Doubt—no that was not quite right. Something subtler. Ah yes, suspicion. Elena stepped away from the windows, closing them with a mere wave her hand before moving to open the door just as the visitor was reached the top step. 

“Isaac, what a surprise,” Elena said, closing and locking the door behind her. 

“You and I both know that is not true,” Isaac replied as he followed Elena back down the stairs. 

Elena allowed herself a small smile. “I suppose you are correct. Allow me to be more direct. What brings you up here? I’m guessing you did not climb up all these stairs for your personal benefit.”

“Dracula wishes to speak with you before the council meeting,” Isaac said. Elena assumed that was where his suspicion was rooted. She would have to do something about that. 

“I see, thank you for letting me know.” Elena continued to walk down the stairs while allowing any tension to fall from her shoulders and adapting a more relaxed posture. Isaac’s eyes bored into her back, examining every movement. “You can go fetch Hector and head to the meeting, Isaac. I’m sure my father will meet you there after he is finished with me,” she said when they had reached one of the main hallways. Isaac merely gave a nod of his head before leaving. 

Elena continued on the path to her father’s study, ruminating on his wish for her presence. His wish to speak with her usually meant nothing good. Since her mother’s death and Adrian’s departure, her father kept contact with her to a minimum, instead preferring solitude which she understood all too well. Still, his alienation of his last blood relative was odd, but as Elena passed by one of the few mirrors in the castle, she could come up with a few reasons. Subsequently, any deviation from this pattern suggested an issue. Isaac had not seemed to have an idea what their meeting would entail, only that vague sense of distrust which was another matter to deal with all together. Elena was so entrenched in her own musings that she arrived at her father’s study far sooner than she expected. She could hear no sounds from the inside due to the sigils carved into the door that made the room soundproof, but she did not doubt that her father was inside. Taking a deep breath, she knocked and entered before awaiting a response. 

The room was exactly as she remembered it being when they last had one of their little meetings almost three weeks. Her father was slumped in the high-backed chair, staring into the fire, but he beckoned her closer with a small wave of his hand. 

“Isaac said that you wished to speak with me. Have you finally changed your mind about letting me be a part of your war council?” Elena asked, positioning herself just inside her father’s field of vision and injecting a barely noticeable amount of snark in her voice. 

“We have been over this many times, Elena,” he began, never moving his eyes from the fire. “I do not want you involved in the matter, especially around those vermin.”

“You know that I can handle myself. You were training me for this before everything happened, and my abilities are assets you cannot afford to lose.” As Elena talked about their plans, she took the time to examine her father more closely. He was only partially listening to her, a majority of his mind occupied by the dark cloud of grief that saturated the room and threatened to take Elena down with it if she was not careful to keep her own thoughts separate. However, there was something else occupying his attention as well. He did not wish to meet with her for merely their usual shouting match; there was something more important. 

“I have no need for your tricks of the mind, not when I have been working with these vampires for centuries,” he sighed. “This is not what I summoned you for, child.”

“What did you really want then?” 

“Isaac came to me a few days ago with some information he received from some of the horde that was sent on the road to Gresit,” he said with a sigh. “Only one night creature survived the attack. It was fought by three people: a hunter, a magician, and Alucard.” Elena kept her face unreadable to hide her shock. “It would seem that they are responsible for the large increase in death of the horde recently.”

“Does anyone else know of this information?” Elena asked.Information was exchanged like currency within the castle walls, and many inhabitants would play a high price for this development. 

“No, it did not think it wise. The council may only know that there is a group working against us comprised of a hunter, magician, and swordsman, not that Alucard is involved.” For the first time since she entered the study, her father’s eyes met hers. “I wish for you to be the one to deal with the matter. Send one of your familiars to track them and find out where they are headed. Isaac has also been instructed to send a few night creatures as well.” 

Elena gave a small nod of her head, her mind already overrunning itself with the implications of this new information. “What do you wish for me to do after that?” 

“Do whatever you must to prevent them from reaching the castle.” 

“I’ll see what I can do.” With that, Elena turned to leave, but her father’s hand shot out to grab her arm in a bruising grip, his claws cutting into her arm. 

“Do not forget whose side you are on.” Her father’s gaze had moved back to the fire, but his firm grip and tone revealed the importance of his words. 

“I wouldn’t dream of it. I didn’t attempt to stop your little war, did I?” At her words, her father released her arm and allowed her to leave the room. 

As Elena walked down the hall, servants scurried out of her way to bow along the sides of the hallway before leaving the area. A group of soldiers that turned down the hall promptly left. To others the blatant avoidance would be disconcerting; to Elena, it brought peace. The silence and solitude as she walked the halls allowed her to focus and collect her thoughts, to ready herself for the path ahead. It would not be easy to fool the most powerful vampires of the world.

—

Hector and Isaac were waiting outside of the large doors into the war hall when they saw Elena stride past them in the direction of her isolated chambers. Like always, her face betrayed nothing, merely the stony and slightly accusative gaze she always wore. Her blood red gaze briefly passed over them, staying on Isaac for a half second too long before she continued on her way. 

“I don’t understand why Dracula won’t let her help,” Hector said as he picked a piece of lint off of his shirt.

“His reasoning is no one’s business but his own, although I agree with his judgement,” Isaac replied, not bothering to hide his sneer.

“You don’t think she would be helpful?”

“She is loyal to no one but herself and does only what will benefit her. I do not trust her."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I struggled a bit with writing this one and making sure Elena's character comes through. As always, comments are welcome. I'll see you all next week! Thanks for reading!


	4. Communication

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for such the long wait! College has been absolutely crazy recently, but I'm on spring break right now so I should be able to upload a chapter or two this week. After that, I'm going to try to stick to a fairly regular update schedule. Anyways, enjoy the chapter!

Ever since they had found the distance mirror, Sypha decided to immerse herself even more in her search for whatever information could help them. Her search had paid off when she found half of a locking spell that could be used on Dracula’s castle, but she had made little progress in adding to it. Sypha had never been more frustrated. She felt that even as she took one step forward she was pushed ten steps back, like her work was getting nowhere. Doubt began to weasel it’s way into her mind as the days passed. What good was she if she couldn’t even finish a spell? She was the Scholar, the one that was supposed to be the expert in this, but instead, she was just holding everyone back. 

The progress Alucard made on the distance mirror only made things worse. He was able to get so much done such a little amount of time. His knowledge greatly outweighed hers, or so Sypha felt. Even Trevor had had some success in the Hold. He had found a number of new weapons, including an apparently unbeatable whip— though Sypha thought it was still ugly. The two of them were making strides towards the goals, and Sypha was just stuck. 

Sypha slammed the book she was holding shut, deciding that it was probably best if she got some sleep. She always got overly self-critical whenever she didn’t sleep enough. Stretching her back as she stood, Sypha weaved through the bookshelves to reach the little corner that their trio had been using to sleep in and rest. Unsurprisingly, Trevor was sprawled amongst the dusty sheets with one arm covering his eyes. Sypha was just getting ready to kick his leg to wake him but stopped, deciding that he probably had his fill of being woken up like that. Crouching, she shook his shoulder slightly. 

“Trevor, get up and go make yourself useful,” she said as he awoke, rubbing his eyes. 

“What time is it?” he asked as he stretched and stood. 

Sypha promptly took his spot, nestling into the still-warm sheets. “It’s still early, but I’ve been up all night and need to rest. Why don’t you go check on Alucard to see if he needs help?”

“Why do I have to help the bastard?” Trevor groaned, but Sypha was already snoring softly. 

Deciding that pestering Alucard was more exciting than staring at a wall for the next few hours, Trevor made his way to the central area of the Hold. He reached his hands above his head to stretch, a yawn slipping from his mouth. He felt as though he could sleep for a year and still be exhausted. Maybe he could ask Alucard about it, he thought with a laugh. He stopped in his tracks, however, once he laid eyes on Alucard. 

He wasn’t wearing his coat, instead opting for the freeness of the white shirt he wore underneath with its sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His hair was braided back away from his face and was secured at the end with a piece of black ribbon, though one curl at his hairline still stuck out. He seemed relaxed, or as relaxed as one could be as they prepared to murder their own father, but whatever walls he had so cautiously built up seemed to have been lowered, if only for a moment. Alucard’s brow was slightly furrowed, but it seemed to be more so in concentration than anything else. Leaning over a table covered in books, he seemed like he belonged in some university in the west than sequestered away underground. It felt wrong that this was the life Alucard was relegated to; he belonged among the light. 

Trevor really was getting too sentimental for his own good. 

“Are you just going to stand there and stare, Belmont?” Alucard said as he turned to face the mirror and make a few changes to the runes on its frame. 

“Sorry, I was just staring at your ugly mug,” Trevor decided a blatant lie was the best choice of action, but if the glare that got shot his way was any indicator, Alucard wasn’t fooled. 

“What do you want?”

Trevor shrugged before leaning on a nearby bookshelf. “Sypha wanted me to check on you, make sure you were actually working. We are just waiting on your slow ass, after all.” 

Alucard kept his eyes on the mirror’s frame where he was currently etching in a rune as he answered. “I should be done shortly, but I’ll have to run some tests to make sure it works and then make any needed alterations to the runes.” He sighed. “Then, of course, there is the matter of actually contacting Elena specifically, but we will cross that bridge when we get to it.”

“Yeah, about that,” Trevor began, not missing how Alucard’s shoulders tensed underneath his shirt. “How come you never mentioned this sister before?”

Alucard’s hand froze from where he was finishing a rune. “There’s a lot of things I haven’t mentioned. I didn’t think it was important.”

Trevor scoffed. “Really? You didn’t think that telling us about both a potential threat and potential resource was important? Whose side are you on here?”

Alucard wheeled around, his eyes just a little too red for Trevor’s liking. “Excuse me for not wanting to have to deal with your snide comments about it or how my family is just a bunch of monsters that deserve to be wiped out like the rest. Because you forget that that’s what we’re dealing with—my family. We do not owe you anything, least of all any explanations.” Trevor opened his mouth but was cut off as Alucard started to speak once more. “And don’t you dare question my loyalty to our cause. Trust me when I say that any doubts I had about standing against my father were put to rest when he nearly killed me.”

Trevor was speechless as he tried to process Alucard’s words and think about what to say. The man before him was shaking slightly by the time he was done speaking, seeming shocked himself at his outburst. 

“I… I’m sorry. I think I just need to go for a walk and clear my head.” Alucard said as he turned to leave, but Trevor’s hand shot out almost reflexively to grab his wrist. 

“Wait, Alucard. Listen, I’m uh. I’m sorry,” he began, not knowing where exactly this train of thought would take him but deciding to follow it because the thought of Alucard sitting outside in the cold alone felt wrong. “I know I’ve been an asshole to you this whole time, but I don’t mean it. I trust you and your judgment, even if it’s tough sometimes.” Trevor dropped his gaze to the ground, feeling his cheeks heat up in a blush. “I know that family can be a fucking shit show a lot of the time, at least mine was, so, you know, if you ever need anything I’m here,” he finished, stuttering out the last couple of words. He didn’t know what prompted him to go pouring his heart out to Alucard, but there was no turning back now. 

“Thank you,” Alucard said in reply, voice so soft that Trevor wouldn’t have been able to hear it if they weren’t standing so close together. 

Trevor chanced a look up to meet Alucard’s eyes and felt some breath be punched out of his lungs when his gaze met Alucard’s watery amber eyes. Deciding that acting on impulse didn’t go too badly the first time, Trevor used the grip he still had around Alucard’s arm to pull him into his chest, wrapping his arms tightly around the vampire but still loose enough that he could get away if he wanted. Trevor felt Alucard tense for a few moments before he moved to wrap his arms around Trevor and press his head into his neck. Trevor knew that some part of him should be screaming in alarm at having a vampire so close to his neck, but he didn’t have just any vampire at his neck— it was Alucard. 

They stood like that for quite a while, with Trevor gently stroking Alucard’s hair and Alucard holding onto him like a lifeline, before Alucard decided to speak again. 

“I am sorry for not telling either of you sooner,” he said into Trevor’s neck. “My sister is the only family I have left now, and I didn’t want to put her at any risk or involve her any more than she already is.”

“It’s fine, Alucard. I understand, and you know that Sypha does,” Trevor replied. “I’d be super fucking protective of my family too if they were still around. Did I ever tell you that I grew up with five older sisters?”

He felt Alucard shake his head and decided to move the two of them to sit against one of the bookshelves before he continued his story, but his arms never left the dhampir. 

“There was always some drama going on and someone was always mad at someone else, normal family stuff, y’ know? Well, normal except that we always solved all our issues outside on the training grounds. You would not believe how many times I got my ass beat by my sisters.” Trevor rambled on, delving into stories and memories that he hadn’t thought about in years. The pain of the loss of his family was still there— it always would be— but this time it didn’t hurt as much. As he talked more and shared the funny stories about the time Catherine challenged him to a sword fight because he stole and hid one of her dolls or the time that Maria made fun of him for not being able to use the whip properly but then staying up all night to teach him, he felt Alucard begin to relax in his hold and let out small laughs every so often. 

“What about you?” Trevor asked, causing Alucard to left up his head from where it had been resting on Trevor’s chest. “I’m sure you have just as many interesting stories about growing up.”

“Do you really want to hear about Dracula as a doting father?” he countered. His tone was joking and light, but Trevor could tell there was hidden weight to his question. 

“Of course, and don’t forget to tell me about the times your mom beat your dad in a swordfight,” Trevor said, pulling a laugh out of Alucard as he rested his head back on Trevor’s chest. 

“Oh, please. My mother never beat my father in a sword fight. She only used daggers,” he said and Trevor had to laugh because what else would he expect from the woman that married Dracula. “Anyways, I’m afraid I don’t have as many stories about getting bested in fights with my sister, but the two of us were always causing trouble in the castle and giving our parents heart attacks. Our father always joked about all the millennia we were taking off of his life. We were always competing with each other.

“One of our favorite things to do, once both of us learned how to levitate, was to see who could get closer to the ground before enacting our powers. We would go to one of the tallest spires of the castle, open up the windows, and jump. Our mother’s laboratory was on the way down, so you can imagine her shock when she saw her ten and eight year old children falling past the window.”

As Alucard talked, Trevor couldn’t help but smile at how human the whole story seemed. Alucard himself seemed to light up as he talked, and, again, Trevor was struck by how beautiful he was. Almost without realizing it, he reached out to brush a stray curl behind Alucard’s ear, his hand lingering on Alucard’s cheek. Alucard had stopped talking, his eyes flitting between Trevor’s eyes before he covered Trevor’s hand with his own. Trevor went to open his mouth to speak when an inhuman screech sounded from above the hold. 

Trevor and Alucard quickly got up and started to run up the stairs, meeting Sypha along the way. She flashed a knowing smile between the two of them as she readied her magic. It had been too long since they had fought a proper fight anyways. 

——

The fight proved not to be too challenging, merely a small group of night creatures that seemed to be created more for stealth and speed than brute strength. However, that fact on its own was concerning. 

“Do you think someone sent those creatures to track us?” Sypha asked as she wiped the sweat from her forehead and pressed a cool hand against the back of her neck. 

“Probably, with our fucking luck,” Trevor said, kicking one of the creatures for good measure. “That’s just what we need right now. More people breathing down our fucking—”

“Quiet,” Alucard said, taking a fighting stance once more. “I hear something else.”

Trevor and Sypha followed his lead, falling into their stances and waiting with bated breath for the next wave of attack. Only a few moments later, the source of the noise revealed itself to be a bat the size of a small dog. Trevor threw back his arm in preparation to hit it before Alucard stopped him. 

“Wait,” Alucard said as he approached the bat with an outstretched arm. “I don’t think this one means harm.”

Sypha shot Trevor a confused look before the two of them relaxed their stances and observed the scene before them. Alucard seemed to be whispering to the bat as it flew closer and landed on his arm. Chuckling softly, Alucard gave the bat a few scratches behind its ears, causing it to let out happy squeaks. 

“I thought it was you, Medea. I see Elena is feeding you well.” The bat let out a few angry squeaks. “You know I didn’t mean it like that. What did Elena send you for?” The bat continued to happily squeak and lean into Alucard’s hand. “I see. Let her know that I have access to a distance mirror. We can plan to contact each other tomorrow at sunrise.”

“You want to explain what the fuck is going on right now?” Trevor said, walking over with his hand still on his whip. 

Alucard turned around with a small smile, the bat on his arm nuzzling into his neck before he pushed it away with a laugh. “This is my sister’s familiar. Apparently, Dracula is aware of our presence and sent these creatures to track us. It seems Elena wanted to send her familiar as well to serve as an intermediary.”

Sypha’s eyes lit up as she began to pick up the magical signature tied to the bat. She reached out her hand in front of the bat, and, after a sniff, the bat pushed her head into her awaiting hand. “And you can understand her?” 

“Yes, even though she is not my familiar, we still are connected enough to be able to communicate,” Alucard said. “It also helps that I am related to the person she is attached to.”

“That’s amazing,” Sypha said, a smile breaking out on her face. “I’ve never been able to meet someone’s familiar in person.”

“Well, she definitely seems to like you. She normally doesn’t warm up to strangers this easily.”

“This is great and all, but how does this help us?” Trevor interrupted while keeping his distance from the bat. They always freaked him out. 

“Elena would like to contact us, and since both of us have access to a distance mirror we should be able to. We just have to agree upon a general time.” Alucard smiled at them. “Looks like we’ll all finally be able to meet.”

With a last scratch from Sypha and Alucard, the bat took off into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! This one was pretty Trevor and Alucard heavy just because I wanted to focus on their relationship and develop it a bit more. Also, season three really fucked me up and I wanted to give Alucard the comfort he deserves. I still can't believe they did my boy dirty like that, but at least Isaac is thriving. I won't be incorporating a lot from season three, at most I'll allude to Carmilla's three vampire sisters. 
> 
> As always, I appreciate comments and kudos and feel free to talk to me about this fic or just the angst of season three on tumblr (username is the same as here)!


	5. Progress

Elena had been holed up in one of the smaller but oldest libraries of the castle ever since she had sent out her familiar to contact Adrian. She was currently curled in one of the window seats, a stack of books nearly as tall as her to her right and the rain drumming away on the window to her left. Books lied open or bookmarked with a scrap of parchment around where she was sitting along with hastily scribbled notes in her barely legible writing. To put it simply, the area around her was a disaster zone.

She thought it was all needed, though. At her core, Elena was a strategist, never making a move without carefully considering the consequences. It was why she always beat her brother at chess. She knew that planning a coup to overthrow her father while the world’s most powerful vampires were at his side was probably one of the worst ideas ever conceived. There were so many outside factors to consider and such a slim possibility of success, but it had to be done. The time had come for Dracula’s reign to end and for a new era to begin.

Elena had subsequently been searching all of the many castle libraries for any information that could be helpful. She read through his many records of attempted threats to his life, the catalog of weapons lethal to vampires that he had come across, accounts of battles waged and wars won. Nothing had come close to defeating him, not magic, not consecrated weapons, not other vampires, not even the most powerful hunters. The task was only seeming to become more and more impossible, but there had to be something. She and Adrian had the advantage of being raised by the man, being trained by him—but even that didn’t seem enough. After all, Adrian had tried. Elena had to be missing something. They were going to need to do something different if they had any hope of a different outcome.

Deciding that it would probably best if she moved onto another library, Elena got up from the couch she was sitting on and stacked the books and papers with a wave of her hand. Just as she picked up her stack of notes, she felt someone lingering outside the door. She must have been too focused on her reading to have noticed when they first arrived. Not bothering to check to see who it was, Elena willed the door to open and smiled as it revealed Hector.

“You don’t need to stand outside, Hector. You know you are welcome to any of the castle libraries during your time here,” she said while beginning to file away the many books she had pulled out.

“I know,” Hector said, immediately starting to browse the shelves. “I just didn’t want to interrupt you or anything. I am a guest in your home, after all.”

“While I appreciate the sentiment, do realize that you are probably the least likely to bother me out of all the inhabitants of the castle,” Elena said as she moved to join him at one of the many bookshelves. Hector let out a light laugh and blushed slightly as he involuntarily relaxed. “Anyways, are you looking for anything in particular?”

Hector shook his head but crouched down to examine the spines of the books on the lowest shelf. “Nothing specific, I just felt like I needed a break from the chaos of the war council and thought a book might ease my mind, or just walking around a library.”

That would be something to look into later, but Elena needed to gain a bit more trust first. “I don’t know if you’ll find anything that will facilitate the escapism you’re looking for in this library. I’m afraid this room is reserved for my father’s oldest tomes, but if you want I know a few texts that might work.” Sensing Hector’s excitement at the prospect, she motioned for him to follow her out of the library.

Slowing her pace so that they would be walking side by side, Elena led Hector through the twisting passageways of the castle, the two falling into a comfortable silence. As they moved to an area with more foot traffic, a small group of servants walking through the hallway quickly entered a side passage.

“You're not the one they are avoiding,” Elena said, picking up on the hint of sadness that permeated Hector’s previously content being. “Many of the servants are quite fond of you, actually. You are one of the only ones that are kind to them and treat them as equals.” She turned to give Hector a small smile, which he returned. She only noticed her slip in wording when she saw the crinkle in his brow.

“I take it that you’re saying it is you that they are avoiding,” Hector offered with a raised brow.

Elena chose her next words carefully, “I do not have the best relationship with the inhabitants of the castle. They simply aren’t as comfortable with me as they are my father or even my brother. I don’t know if my father ever told you about the difference in upbringing of my brother and me.” She looked over at Hector who shook his head, intrigued. “Well, while my father was able to take my brother under his wing so to speak and teach him how to use his abilities, he couldn’t do so with me simply because he does not possess the same powers I do.”

“Mind reading, you mean.”

“Yes, exactly.” Elena let the lie slip easily from her tongue; it was one she was used to by now. “Since he couldn’t teach me, he, along with my mother, decided that it would be best for me to live with and be trained by a coven of vampiresses north of here that all possess some degree of telepathy. I ended up living with them for the majority of my life. Subsequently, many of the servants and my father’s soldiers are still not fully trustful of my presence in the castle, regardless of what my father says.”

Hector was about to open his mouth to respond when Elena opened up the door to the library she had been looking for. It was a modest size, though it still had multiple rows of bookshelves and a small fireplace and sitting area in the corner.

“I don’t think I’ve been in this library yet, and I thought I had seen them all,” Hector said as he ran his fingers along the books’ spines.

“Well, luckily for you, I know a few secrets about the castle. There are mostly fictional books in here or accounts of travel, so you should be able to find something that will be able to take your mind off of whatever troubles you are having with the council.” Elena sat on one of the plush chairs, lighting the fireplace with a flick of her wrist. “What has been going on with the war council anyways?”

Hector heaved a sigh as he sat down opposite her on the couch with a stack of books and ran a hand through his hair. “We just can’t get anything done. No one can agree on where we should attack next or what our plan of attack should be. It’s only been worse since Carmilla came to court.”

“Carmilla is in the castle?”

“Yes, she arrived a few nights ago. I had assumed that Dracula would tell you or that you would have found out yourself.”

Elena made sure to keep her expression blank and her posture casual. Though this was news to her, this wasn’t the point of the conversation. “I suppose I’m simply out of the loop. My father does not like for me to be involved in his war, after all. Anyways, what are the current matters that the council is discussing?”

Hector had already begun to flip through a book. “We are trying to decide to move on Arges or Braila. Arges has more cultural and historical significance, but Braila is a powerful port city so we could cut off a potential exit. I think Braila would be a better move, but Isaac thinks otherwise.”

“I can see the appeal of both plans,” Elena said, chewing on her lip with a fang. “Do you know which town has the bigger population?”

“I believe Braila does, but I’m not sure.”

Eyes flicking briefly to the window as a familiar shape passed by the glass, Elena said, “I would think an attack on Arges would be better. We are fighting a war that is going to be long and arduous, so it would be ideal to act in ways that would decrease morale or hope and defeating an old and respected town would do so. Though, that’s just my opinion.”

“I hadn’t considered that angle, actually. I’ll mention it at the next meeting,” Hector said, not bothering to look up from the book he was now absorbed in. “You’ll have to keep me updated on what is decided then, and let me know if you need anything else, even if it is just a book recommendation,” Elena said as she got up to leave. Hector gave her a quick smile and wave in thanks before returning to his book as Elena closed the door behind her and nearly ran to her quarters in one of the more secluded sides of the castle.

After arriving at her private rooms, Elena ran to the window, allowing a large bat to enter and nestle its face into her own. Laughing softly, Elena gave her familiar a few scratches behind her ears and stretched her wings to relax her after her long journey.

“Were you able to find him, Medea?” she whispered to the bat as if she was too frightened at what the answer may be to pose the question too loudly.

_Found him underground with two humans_ , the familiar offered through their mental connection.

The most joy she had felt in over a year coursed through her veins and Elena could not help a large smile from gracing her face. “Is he well? What did he have to say?”

_Sad but safe with his humans. Meet by mirror at sunrise._

Elena had no idea how Adrian had access to a distance mirror but was not about to question her stroke of good luck. Judging by the sky outside, the sun would be rising shortly. She would need to return to the tower to use the mirror there. “You did so well, Medea. You can go rest and eat.”

Allowing the bat to fly off her arm, Elena quickly left her room and began to make her way up to the tower.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, though I'm not super happy with it. Our group will finally be meeting in the next one! My university actually closed because of coronavirus and is switching to online class, but we get an extra week of spring break so I should be able to churn out a new chapter or two fairly quickly. As always, kudos and comments are greatly appreciated!


	6. First Meetings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Our group finally gets to meet and talk! Also, this chapter is mostly dialogue so have fun with that.

The trio had been waiting in front of the repaired distance mirror for a couple of hours. Alucard had wanted to make sure that it worked before he was supposed to contact his sister by attempting to view a variety of places. After the tests had all been a success, he had paced in front of the mirror until it got closer to sunrise. Sypha had been waiting in the staircase that led down into the Hold to watch the sky while Trevor slept on and off against one of the bookshelves by the mirror. 

Bouncing in excitement, Sypha ran into the Hold once the sky began to lighten, “The sun is about to rise, Alucard!”

Alucard etched a number of runes into the mirror as Sypha made her way back to where he and a now awake Trevor were. The runes shimmered on the surface, and all three held their breath as they waited. Slowly, the mirror rippled like the surface of a pond as the runes lit up and faded into their reflection. Slowly, the ripples became bigger, completely interrupting their reflection until it morphed into another. The picture cleared moments later, and a woman stood before them, a serious look on her face that changed into a small smile as she came into focus. 

Sypha’s breath caught in her throat. She knew that vampires, and half-vampires for that matter, were supposed to be beautiful and otherworldly, but she wasn’t prepared for the sight before her. Alucard’s sister stood in what appeared to be a room completely surrounded by windows that overlooked a mountain range. From the looks of it, she must have been fairly high in the castle, but Sypha couldn’t bring herself to examine the landscape too long.

Elena stood with her head high and hands clasped behind her back, emitting an air of royalty that almost made Sypha feel like she had to bow before her. Her hair was the same shade of blonde as Alucard’s, although she had it tightly braided away from her face. Elena’s features were just as sharp as her brother’s with only a touch more softness along her jawline. The most stunning aspect of her face, however, were her eyes. Their deep red glistened in the fading sunlight like jewels gracing the necks of some far away royalty. They weren’t the sharp, too bright red that Sypha had come to recognize in the eyes of vampires. They seemed more like the color of fine wine, and Sypha felt like she could drown in them. She wore a simple high-necked black dress with large draped red sleeves, adding to the luxury of her appearance. 

Elena’s smile widened slightly as she looked at the three of them, but Sypha could not help but feel like she was examining them, appraising them like a jeweler would a ring to see if they would fit her standards. Finally, her eyes landed back on Alucard, who looked the calmest Sypha had ever seen him. 

“It’s good to finally see you again, Adrian,” Elena said, her voice smooth like honey. 

“Always so formal,” Alucard replied, smirking slightly,” but I’m happy to see you again, too. It’s been too long.” His brow wrinkled and his voice dropped slightly. “How are you doing in the castle? Father… has he been treating you well?”

“You don’t need to worry about me. You’re the one risking your life fighting night creatures on the road while I waste away in luxury here.” Her tone was light, but Sypha could tell that there were hidden depths to her response. 

Alucard sighed through his nose, “You know what I mean, Elena.”

“I’ve been fine. Father is avoiding me at every turn and won’t talk to me but for a meeting every few weeks, so there’s been no issue there.” Alucard opened his mouth to respond, but Elena stopped him with a raised hand. “The way he’s treating me now is amazing compared to what he did to you, but we both know that I’ve always been his favorite child.”

“Lies,” Alucard said, huffing a laugh. From behind him, Trevor cleared his throat. 

“Oh, yes. This is Trevor, last of the House of Belmont,” Trevor narrowed his eyes and inclined his head in acknowledgment. “And this is Sypha, a Speaker magician.”

“It’s a pleasure to finally get to meet you, Elena. Alucard hasn’t told us much about you besides the fact that you are fairly powerful, but I’m excited to work with you,” Sypha said, a slight blush coloring her cheeks as she spoke. She could see Elena’s eyes narrow slightly at the use of the name Alucard to refer to her brother. 

“Well, I’m sorry he hasn’t told you much, but I can assure you that I’m capable and that your sentiments are reciprocated. I’m glad to have both of your help in this endeavor. It is not one to be taken lightly,” Elena said, her demeanor shifting into a more serious and guarded one. “Before we start planning–“

“Wait a second,” Trevor said as he stepped forward to regard Elena through the mirror. “Just what exactly do you have to add to our group? We’ve been out here working and fighting, and we have a pretty good system going if I do say so myself. And then there’s this whole issue of a prophecy that doesn’t mention a fourth person at all. What do you have to say about all of that?”

Sypha watched Elena closely as Trevor talked, worried that his bluntness would cause a fight as it so often did with Alucard. However, Elena’s expression remained the same, never altering from its stoic but interested nature with a slight wrinkle between her eyebrows. 

“I understand your concern, Trevor,” Elena began, tone calm but commanding. “You are working hard to carry on your family’s legacy of fighting creatures of the night and now you finally have the chance to do what your family has been dreaming of for generations by killing Dracula.” Trevor remained skeptical but nodded for her to continue. “Yes, the prophecy speaks of a hunter, a scholar, and a soldier that defeat Dracula, but it does not say that they may receive outside help. I’m also guessing that you were not told that much of that prophecy is missing and only parts have been passed down.”

Trevor looked at Sypha with a raised eyebrow, and Sypha responded with a sigh. “She is correct. All of our stories are passed down orally, so sometimes things are changed with each telling or even forgotten. The prophecy is supposed to act as merely a guide but not as something to constrict us.”

Elena smiled, “I do not plan to get in your way at all, but I also think that it would be foolish not to accept my help.” At that, she turned her attention to her brother who was standing with his arms crossed in the back of the group. “As I was saying, before we start making plans, update me on what you’ve found.”

“Once Belmont and Sypha found me in my keep in Gresit, we decided to make our way to the ruins of the Belmont home. It turns out they had a hidden underground hold of all their knowledge,” Alucard said while throwing a glance Trevor’s way. “We’ve been here ever since searching for any helpful information. I’m afraid we haven’t found much, but Sypha did find part of a locking spell that could be used to control the castle.”

Elena’s eyes lit up as she turned her attention to Sypha. “Do you have the spell with you? I’d love to see it.”

“Oh, yes. Here it is,” Sypha said, grabbing the nearby journal and pressing it to the mirror. 

Elena’s fingers skimmed over the glass as she read each line, dark painted lips mouthing the words as she went. “I’m assuming that since you haven’t finished the spell, you are having issues. You seem like the kind of person to not stop in the middle of an easy task,” she said, eyes connecting with Sypha’s. 

Sypha found herself caught off guard by Elena’s gaze again, only realizing it when Trevor nudged her with his foot. “Oh, yes. I… It’s the Adamic. I’m not very proficient in it.”

“That’s an easy enough fix. I can find my way around the language fairly easily and, we have several books on Adamic here at the castle. I can bring some next time, and we can work on it together.”

“Next time?” Sypha said, choosing to ignore the flutter in her stomach at the thought of working closely with Elena on the spell. 

“Yes, I was thinking that it would be useful if we spoke around this time daily perhaps to plan. The sooner we get this done the better,” Elena said, seemingly lost in thought for a few seconds before starting to pace the room she was in. “If we’re able to finish this spell, you could attempt to move the castle to where you are. It would save travel time. I could also probably try to move it on my end as well. It would be a lot easier with two people doing it since it won’t completely listen to either of us while Dracula is still alive.” 

“That would also help us to conserve our magic for the actual fight,” Sypha said. After days of just sitting doing nothing, it seemed like she was finally going to be able to act, and she couldn’t be more excited. 

“Exactly,” Elena replied with a smile. “It’s been a pleasure to meet you both, but I would love to talk to Adrian alone now if you don’t mind.”

“Of course,” Sypha said before Trevor could protest. “We’ll see you tomorrow.” Sypha wrapped her hand around Trevor’s arm and practically dragged him out of the Hold and into the sunlight above, garnering a small laugh out of Alucard and Elena. 

Once they left, Elena turned her attention back to her brother and gave him a small smile as she pressed her hand against the mirror, causing Alucard to do the same. 

“It’s just like old times when we would talk through mirrors when I was away,” Elena said with a teary laugh. 

“We would talk for hours about absolutely nothing,” Alucard said. “Mother was always so upset that we kept each other up all night, but I don’t think she ever was really upset.”

The pair stared at their joined hands for a few moments before Elena spoke up again, her voice small and fragile. “I’m sorry I didn’t contact you sooner. I didn’t know what your plans were, so I thought it best that I wait for your move. I wanted to see you and make sure you were ok after what happened, but I didn’t want to risk anything when it was so early and—”

Alucard shook his head, “It’s alright. I’m alright. Take a breath.” He watched as a tear rolled down Elena’s cheek as she took a deep breath and wished for nothing more than being able to reach through the mirror to dry her tears. “You made the right decisions, and you’re doing so well. Is everything alright at the castle? How is everyone treating you?”

Elena shrugged, wiping her cheeks, “It’s like how it always is with them, Adrian.” She paused to bite her lip. “Carmilla is here.”

Alucard couldn’t hide his shock. “Did any of the others come with her?”

“Unfortunately not, you know that I get along better with literally any other of the four besides her. I haven’t seen her yet though, so maybe she hasn’t gotten over the fact that a half-breed that she was forced to train is more powerful than her,” Elena replied with a smirk. 

“Are you sure that’s the reason and not that you have no concept of authority?” Alucard quipped through his laughs. 

“You’re such an ass. Do you know that?” The harshness of Elena’s words were softened by her laughter, and the pair fell into comfortable silence before Alucard sighed. 

“How are we going to do this, Elena?”

She paused before answering, “I think I have an idea. It’s crazy and far-fetched but I think it could work.” 

“What is it then?”

“I think I can make him do the job for us. I think I can make him kill himself.”

Alucard stared at his sister in shock, wondering just what reality she was living in. “Elena, do you realize what you’re saying? You are talking about controlling the most powerful vampire in the world and making him do something he never would in his right mind.”

“No, listen to me,” Elena countered in a tone that she reserved for political meetings with generals that refused to take her seriously. “You haven’t been in this castle for the last year. You don’t know what’s been going on. Father hasn’t been feeding at all. He sits in his study and stares into the fire or talks to his generals. Every so often he’ll attend a meeting with the war council. He is weak right now. He wants to be with Mother. I’m not saying it won’t be difficult and the most that I’ve pushed my powers, but I know I can do it.” 

Alucard considered her for a moment, taking in the determined set of Elena’s jaw and the fire behind her eyes. “What if you hurt yourself?”

“I know my limits, Adrian. You don’t need to worry about me.” 

“Just promise me that if you feel like it’s getting too much that you will stop and let me know. We can figure something out.” The sentiment that he couldn’t bear the thought of losing someone else did not need to be said.

Elena’s eyes softened and she once again pressed her hand to the mirror “I promise.” All of sudden her eyes fixating on something past the mirror. “I need to go, but we’ll speak again this time tomorrow. Stay safe.”

The mirror rippled again until Alucard was left staring at his own worried expression.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! As always, kudos and comments are greatly appreciated! My tumblr username is shxsty if you want to come talk about castlevania with me :)


	7. Complications

Elena quickly severed the connection and collapsed the mirror into a hidden panel in the wall. The conversation went better than she had expected, but then there was the matter of the two humans he was working alongside. The Belmont seemed more than capable of handling the mission, as did the magician but there was something different about her that Elena couldn’t quite place her finger on. Even though she was only able to see her through a mirror, she could almost feel the power flowing through the Speaker. Elena struggled to think of a time when she had met an elemental magician with that much raw magic held within themselves. And even with all that power, the girl—Sypha, she remembered with a smile—remained humble, going on about how she was having an issue with a spell that was written in Adamic of all languages. No one outside of practitioners of ancient magic used it anymore, yet Sypha felt bad for not knowing it. She might be the first magician Elena has ever met that doesn’t have a superiority complex, herself included. 

Sypha’s humility almost reminded her of Adrian. She had to admit that a part of her felt at ease for the first time in over a year after being able to see her brother. It brought a sort of clarity, so to speak. Elena had known that her brother was alive, but actually seeing him for herself was another matter. She decided not to focus on the fact that she had never seen him so tired or that the smile that always seemed to be present on his face was absent or that he would spend eternity wearing a reminder of a homicidal father. Those observations would simply be added to the ever-growing list of things she would not dwell on yet. Any mental energy spent worrying or dwelling or grieving was mental energy wasted. There would be a time for all that as there would eventually be a time for everything. Then, she could work to make sure Adrian slept and smiled and felt valued. But not now. Now there was something else to do, as always. 

Digging her nails into her palms, Elena gave into what had been tugging at the reaches of her mind like a child would tug on its mother’s dress. She reached out to follow the trail and to find what exactly was calling for her attention until she found the certain someone who was poking their nose into places it didn’t belong. Letting out an exasperated sigh and trying to still her shaking hands, Elena stalked out of the tower and traveled to her chambers to come face to face with Carmilla, who was currently standing in wait outside the door. As soon as she entered the hallway, Elena felt the unwelcome prickling sensation of Carmilla’s magic attempting to worm its way into her thoughts. She, apparently, had given up on subtlety; perhaps she had finally recognized the fruitlessness of that endeavor. 

“You hadn’t told me that you arrived, Carmilla,” Elena said, continuing past her to enter a sitting room a few doors down. “Here, there are sigils for privacy and protection carved into each wall, door, and window,” she added as she locked the door behind them and saw Carmilla begin to survey the room for any unwelcome guests. 

“I thought your father would have told you,” Carmilla replied airly as she turned her attention back to Elena. “I do apologize for not seeking you out sooner. I’ve been busy,” she moved to sit on the lounge in front of the fireplace, which was promptly lit and motioned for Elena to join her. “However, that is for later. Striga, Morana, and Lenore all send their regards, by the way. We all miss you terribly at home. How have you been faring here? Morana was worried.”

“I have been doing fine, I suppose,” Elena sighed, causing Carmilla to raise a perfectly arched brow. “I am well aware of your opinions of my mother, so I will not bore you with those details. I only hate that I am not able to do anything here ever since my father barred me from the meetings or any involvement in this little war of his. I can’t do anything but watch from the shadows as my father destroys the reputation and power he worked for.”

Carmilla hummed as she smoothed out a few stray curls escaping from Elena’s braid. “You poor thing. If it makes you feel any better, from what I have gathered from the few meetings I have gone to, you are not missing much. The war council is a disaster. All they do is argue and disagree.”

“Nothing like the meetings we have at home then?” she replied with a small smile. 

“Striga would not stand for the absolute lack of strategy going on in those meetings,” Carmilla said, returning the smile. “Has your father spoken to you of the war at all, or are you not on speaking terms?”

Elena forced a slight slump to her shoulders. “He speaks to me for less than five minutes only once a month, but he will not speak to me of the war.” She got up to stand near the fireplace as she continued. “He did give me an assignment, though, concerning my brother’s whereabouts.”

“You didn’t think this was something important to mention in your letters and briefs?” Carmilla’s eyes flickered briefly, too fast for Elena to be able to decipher. 

“You knew just as well as I did that my brother was still alive. That should be no surprise,” Elena responded, gaze shifting to fire. “Nevertheless, he has never been a player in this game of ours. That you also know. I do not see why this matters to you.” 

Carmilla laughed darkly. “And you don’t think that I care about anyone who seeks to kill your father?” Her next words were spoken so close they caused the hair on the back of Elena’s neck to stand on end. “I have heard whispers of a Belmont and witch that are traveling with our dear Alucard on a quest to destroy Dracula. But you knew about that, didn’t you?”

Elena’s shoulders tensed, and she had to fight her hands from clenching into fists. “I wanted to get in contact with him before I reported back to you. There was no point in telling you something you already knew if I had no new information to provide. Now you can either try to unseat Dracula on your own and have me as your enemy or you trust my judgment.” The fire in front of them popped and crackled before she took a deep breath and relaxed.

“There’s the vampire I raised! I was wondering where she went,” Carmilla said, voice sickeningly sweet as she reached out to take Elena’s hand. “I trust you, my dear. I just like to test you every so often, as I’m sure you know, but we decided that you would lead this, so I will let you do so.”

Elena gave Carmilla a curt nod. This was what they had discussed before she left Styria to return to her father. Everyone knew that Dracula had gone mad, that he was going to destroy the already precarious balance not only in the night world but in the human world as well. The sisters in Styria and Elena had agreed long ago that once she took her father’s seat as head of the vampire world, she would elevate their status as well to be her advisers. Their plan was merely being enacted sooner and in a different way than expected. 

Sighing, Elena said, “I will give you information once I have more. As of right now, I only know that my brother and his companions will be of use to us. If we can get them to do the dirty work, we can fill the gap in the power structure afterward. Simple.”

“And they are not suspicious of you?” Carmilla asked, doubtful of the dhampir’s abilities as always. 

“No more than is expected,” Elena said with a shrug. 

“Wonderful,” she replied with a clap of her hands and a devious smile on her lips. “I will leave the siege of the castle and Dracula’s death in your hands then. I will begin organizing for afterward— I think I might have found someone useful for us. Are you familiar with Hector?” 

“No.” The word sprang out of Elena’s mouth before she could stop it, almost like a reflex. “Not him, he’s…” What explanation could she give? He is just a child. He isn’t made for this. He doesn’t belong here. He reminds me of Adrian before Mother died. “He is weak.” The words felt almost like a betrayal. “I do not want someone so easily swayed to be involved in something like this.”

“I still think he would be useful but have it your way.” Carmilla turned to leave, yet she paused once again at the door and turned to lock eyes with Elena. 

Suddenly, searing pain ripped through Elena’s head and almost caused her to collapse to the floor. Her head felt like it was about to explode with the pressure that was building up as if her brain was no longer able to regulate what information it let in and which it kept out. She hadn’t felt this pain since she was just a child and had not yet learned how to control her powers. Then, all she had been able to do was scream in agony until her father placed her under a sleeping spell, and she had woken up pain-free in Styria. Now, however, she gritted her teeth and fought herself to gain back control. With a final grunt of effort, Elena was able to close herself off again, though she was left panting up against a wall. Her watery eyes met Carmilla’s again, the vampire looking at her with a predatory expression that made Elena’s blood run cold.

“Remember who your allies are, my dear, and do not confuse them for the enemy,” she said, her voice carrying a strange weight. She left before Elena could think to respond. 

Sinking down to sit on the floor, Elena put her head in her hands, wiping the moisture from her face. As she curled around herself, she could not help but think about how Adrian was going to kill her when he found out about all the different sides she was playing for. Hopefully, though, he would realize that sacrifices must be made during a time like this and that they would eventually need to start thinking about the aftermath of committing patricide. But those were issues for another night once their father was dead and Adrian was here, then they could begin planning for the eternity ahead. For this moment, however, Elena would permit herself to have a moment spent in a position completely unbecoming of someone of her status and spent overthinking questions completely unfit for someone so young. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, and I'm sorry for such a long wait! As always, comments and kudos are always appreciated :)

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Thank you for giving this a read, and I hope you enjoyed it. I've had this idea for a while and just never had the patience to sit down and write it, but I finally managed to do it. I love Sypha as a character and feel that she gets left out sometimes, so I really wanted to do a piece that focused on her. Plus, I just really wanted to give her a girlfriend. However, before we get to all that fun stuff I have to lay the foundation. But we will get there eventually! Any comments and critiques are welcome. You can also find me on tumblr (with the same username). Though I don't run a Castlevania blog, I'm always willing to talk and would love to hear from you. Thank you again!


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